Day Wines Isla Vermentino 2023
Day Wines is a producer of natural, minimalist wines based in Oregon's Willamette Valley. It's led by winemaker Brianne Day and focuses on creating site-driven wines using minimal intervention and often unfined and unfiltered. Day Wines is known for its boutique, artisanal bottlings sourced from a small group of Oregon growers who use biodynamic, organic, and/or sustainable vineyard practices.
In 2006 Brianne Day sold everything she owned and began traveling through wine regions all over the world. Over the following eight years she visited around 80 different regions, working at wineries in Burgundy, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand.
During this time, she re-established her home base in Oregon and worked at a number of wineries including The Eyrie Vineyards and Brooks. In 2012 Brianne started her own winery with some Pinot Noir grapes from the 15-acre, dry-farmed Crowley Station Vineyard in the Eola Amity Hills. The inaugural vintage was only 125 cases and sold out quickly.
Named for Brianne’s beautiful niece Claire Isla, the 2023 Isla Vermentino is a vacation in a bottle. Layne Vineyard in the Applegate Valley is a site Day works extensively with. It was established in 1975 when only crazy people (like Roger Layne) would do a crazy thing like plant a vineyard down there. One of the region's original sites, this rugged, high-elevation site is 1600 feet above sea level on Kubli Bench. The vines here are planted on well-draining alluvial topsoils on a granitic bedrock, benefiting from the dramatic daily temperature swings to help the fruit reach full ripeness. The age of the vines, the high elevation and wide diurnal shifts create a Vermentino that is racy yet ripe, salty and tropical, and reminds Brianne of sunbathing on a beach with a piña colada in hand. There are notes of lemon oil, lemon curd, lime, white peach, and soft floral aromas. The pallet is crisp, but full with citrus and stone fruit, a hint of briny olive, and a salty bright zesty finish.
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Varietal Composition | 100% Vermentino |
| Appellation | Applegate Valley |
| Vineyard | Layne Vineyard |
| Alcohol | 13.20% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | Oregon |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
